Two New York men have been sentenced for the extortion and Oct. 23, 2017, murder of a business owner.
Wilbert Bryant, 58, also known as Will and La, of Brooklyn, and Ppassim Elder, 43, known as Bsam, Big Sam and Sam, of Staten Island were sentenced Feb. 8 in federal court in Brooklyn before U. S. District Judge William Kuntz II. Bryant received 40 years in prison, and Elder received 202 years in prison, a news release reported.
“The defendants are guilty of multiple crimes of violence and fraud that victimized many persons, including the patriarch of a Queens family who was gunned down in his place of business,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in the release. “The defendants will deservedly serve lengthy prison sentences for their ruthless and vicious conduct.”
Bryant and Elder were sentenced for extortion and fraud offenses after being convicted at a three-week trial in September and October 2021. The two were involved “in an extortion scheme during which one victim was pistol-whipped and another victim was fatally shot in the face,” the release said.
Elder was intimidating Hani Kasem’s son and his family because he was unable to repay money Elder loaned him to support the family business Garden Valley Distributors in Ozone Park, Queens, the release reported.
“Finally, Elder dispatched Bryant and two co-conspirators to the Garden Valley Distributors business where the perpetrators brandished a firearm, pistol-whipped the son and shot Kasem in the face, mortally wounding him,” the release said.
Elder also extorted another person whose brother stole proceeds from one of Elder’s fraud schemes, according to the release. Bryant and Elder were “convicted of bank fraud conspiracy for lying to banks about the true owner of certain bank accounts.”
“Elder was also convicted of crimes committed after his arrest in this case, including stealing his attorney’s identity and lying to federal officials,” the release said.
